Eleven years had past since Courtney was taken from The Wood Cutter and his wife Lena. She had grown up in the house of the Evil Witch Heather, and had been a wonderful child, until about three months ago.
"Ring around the Rosey, A Pocket Full of Posey, Ashes, Ashes, We all Fall Down!!" sang Cody and Sadie.
"Ha ha ha ha," giggled Cody, "That was fun, let's do that again!"
"O.k." agreed Sadie, she took Cody's hand and they spun in a circle!
"What spell is that? It doesn't work very well," Courtney peered over the Grey brick wall surrounding the garden as she spoke to Cody and Sadie.
"Erm……it's not a spell it's a riddle, and it's fun!" answered Cody
"Yeah, you sing it, and dance to it!" reiterated Sadie
"Hey, you're pretty! You wanna join us?" asked Cody
"Ummm… sure," Replied Courtney
Sadie looked at Cody like he was crazy! "Ummm… actually we better be going!"
Courtney was dressed in a black dress with green and black gems all over it. She looked just like a wicken!
Sadie whispered into Cody's ear, "Umm… I don't think we should hang out with her, we might get in trouble, and she looks funny! She doesn't even match. And look at that hair. It's just one long, long, long, ugly braid. She obviously doesn't have any smarts about her."
"Yeah, you're right Sadie," Cody whispered back. Then he turned to face Courtney and spoke, "Well, actually I just heard my mama calling, I gotta go."
Courtney was very confused. "Well, bye then!" Courtney said waving to them as they ran away. "Will I see yo…." Courtney was Cut-off by Heather.
"Who were you talking to? I thought I told you out side contact was a don't!" Heather glared at Courtney when she spoke.
"But, I just said a few words to them. Besides they seemed nice!" Courtney argued.
"What's the matter with you, Why have you gone all soft on me all the sudden?" Heather questioned. "Nice is not what we aim for remember! Nor cute, nor happy, nor content. Evil, nasty, harsh, putrid, those are words worthy of praise! Come you need to practice your spells." Heather took Courtney by the wrist into the Cottage.
"Lizards and Lime bit of thy tongue. Tip of a carrot and luxurious bird. Mix it together, then poof out with smoke. You're left with a bowl full of hazardous dump" Recited Courtney.
"Wonderful! Absolutely revolting," praised Heather as she took the bowl full of rank matter and placed it on the window seal. A bird landed and the window seal and proceeded to eat the noxious waste, but before it could get close enough to try it, the disgusting smell reached it's nose , warding it off.
"Why do we make that for birds? I thought birds ate seeds and fruits. Why must we punish them?" said Courtney.
"Why would we reward them? They are happy, little singing creatures. And they love to steal vegetables from my garden! That's why we do not reward them, it's a precision SC? For my lovely vegetable garden. And since when have you ever cared about pesky little birds?" Heather was infuriated with this discussion Courtney had brought up.
"Well, I just thought, you know, little birdies never done anything to me, why should they be harmed for nothing." Courtney said in a restrained voice. "But…bu..but I see that I was wrong Mama! If the birds have done wrong to you, well then they're no friends of mine!"
"That's more like it," Heather said as she patted Courtney on the head, "You've done well with your spells, you may do as you wish now."
"Thank you Mama," Courtney said and with that she headed out into the garden.
In the garden were mushroom plants, fruit trees, marsh-mallow plants, and Rapunzel. There was also a grand Walnut Tree huge in size, but its' branches were bare. Courtney climbed up into the tree, very high; she could see the sky so much better up in the tree then when she was on the ground. She gazed at the clouds, beautiful white, fluffy, ominous clouds.
"How does it feel to go wherever you wish? To soar through any part of the sky?" Courtney spoke softly to herself. It was becoming apparent her and her mother heather weren't on the same page, she longed to be free of hatred and to be nice when she saw fit.
"Cloud, how I envy you, and how I hate you. Is it to much to ask for a reply from thee?" Courtney was growing very angry at the clouds, it bubbled up inside her and she screamed it to the clouds! "How dare you, how you be so rude, so unresponsive. How does it feel, how does it feel?" As Courtney screamed louder and louder her voice grew more beautiful, she was singing.
"How, does it feel? Answer me! O how I plead. Answer me" she hopped down from the tree and began to spin round and round as she sang with her mellifluous voice. "O, how I plead rescue me, un-bias clouds. Please I beg, I'm doomed to death. In an old hag's house, full of doubt." Courtney stopped spinning and sat down on the dirt, she pulled her hands to her chest and sand slower, with vibrato. "I wish to see oceans and seas. I wish to prance fast as I can. I wish to be happy and kind, but these pipe dreams can never be…..Mine."
Birds came down and landed on and around Courtney, this was the first time Courtney had experienced the pleasure of song, and friendship.
"Little bird, why do you trust me? I can't be your friend, it's forbidden." Courtney lowered her head and sighed. "I…."
Cut-Off by Heather she was, and then Heather spoke, "Singing, I heard you sing! Since when did you know how to sing? And associating with these pests!" Heather shooed the birds away from Courtney. "I've had it with you, you and your childish, playful ways."
"But, I only spoke with them some. Please don't punish me, Mama I won't ever sing again if that's what you wish. I'll..."
Heather raised her hand and spoke again, "No, it's to late, now follow me!" Heather grabbed Courtney by her braid and led her into the woods.
After about ten minutes of walking they reached a gloomy, dull, tall tower.
There were no vines grasping the tower, no door leading into the tower, only on widow at the top of the tower. Courtney was sobbing, she was only 11 years old, and she steal needed a care taker.
"I brought you here because of you obnoxious behavior, child. Maybe confined in solitude you will come back to your senses." Said Heather, and with that she began to levitate Courtney and herself into the air. When she reached the window she threw Courtney in and quickly left. The tower was extremely lengthy so there was no hope of escape!
Courtney noticed that she was in the top section of the tower, which was supposed to be her room. There was an old dingy reading chair covered in cobwebs it was discolored and lop-sided. A dresser with a mirror also covered in cobwebs but it seemed to be newer. And a bed, with only a blanket and a pillow atop it, the blanket was made of a scratchy material it was an unappealing brown color as well. The pillow was filled with goose down, and was actually very comfortable.
Courtney lay down on the bed, and got beneath the blanket, she cried herself to sleep.
In the morning Courtney accepted her position and fate. She enjoyed singing and being happy. Not warding off the birds, but instead having them sit among her was grand, if she had to live her whole life in the tower she would. Courtney grew tired of staying up in her room, it was depressing. She noticed that there was a small door behind the reading chair, Courtney was curious and had nothing to loose so she decided to open the door and see where it led.
The door open up to stairs, spiral ones. They led down to a room in the middle of the tower. It was filled with candles, flint sparkers, and a knife, dull it was. The room also had a needle and thread, but no material to sow with. There was another door in this room as well, it had spiral stairs to. It led to the ground level, the last room in the tower in this room there was paints, and paper, and a few books. But no paintbrushes! Courtney spent the rest of the day painting, and day dreaming. But when late afternoon came she had to return up to her bed chambers, for the Evil Witch Heather summoned her.
"I've brought you some bread to eat, and some dried meat. I won't have MY CHILD starving!" Heather said as she threw the bread across the room. "I've also brought you three pails of water, and a sponge. You may do with it hat you wish, I would recommend using only one pail for bathing, and the rest for drinking. Wouldn't want to die of dehydration would we? O and I brought you an empty pot, for your foul matter you humans seem to produce," Heather sneered as she flew out of the tower and back to her cottage.
Courtney took Heather's advice and took sponge baths only with that one pail of water. She drank the rest with her bread, and salted meat rations. And so Courtney lived this life for six more years, painting and reading occasionally. Looking forward to Heather's visits, it was the only time she could interact with anything closely human, and any interaction was a blessing when you had weeks of solitude to yourself.